Bound By Light
by chocolatequeen
Summary: The Doctor takes Rose to see a special sunrise, but when they get swept up in a local ceremony, the day takes on new meaning.


Rose watched the Doctor as he twirled around the console, adjusting the TARDIS' course as they jolted through the Time Vortex. He seemed particularly bubbly and smiley today, and she couldn't hide her own grin when he laughed and bounced back on his heels.

She wrapped an arm around a strut as the TARDIS hit some turbulence. "So, where are you taking me?"

The Doctor grabbed the edge of the console and looked up at her. "To see the Daenara Dawn!"

"Is that like, a metaphorical dawn?" Rose asked. "Or are we going to see a sunrise?"

"Not just any sunrise, Rose Tyler." The TARDIS finally landed, and the Doctor grabbed his coat and swung it around his shoulders. "The Daenara Dawn is generally regarded to be the most glorious sunrise in the galaxy. It happens once a year, on their summer solstice. And we are going to the prime viewing location, which is only allowed to a select few."

Rose followed him down the ramp and out the door into the grey, pre-dawn mist. "Really? And how are we getting in? Oh, psychic paper!" she said eagerly, but to her surprise, the Doctor shook his head.

"No, psychic paper wouldn't work this time, I'm afraid." He tugged on his ear. "And… ah, I did forget this detail…"

Rose narrowed his eyes as he rummaged in his coat pockets, finally pulling out matching bracelets. She took one and rubbed her thumb over the smooth copper surface. "What's this?" she asked, pretty sure there was something going on he still hadn't told her.

"A Daenaran pledge bracelet," he said, slipping the other over his long fingers until he rested on his slim wrist.

"Pledge bracelet?" Rose repeated.

The Doctor shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "Right. So, obviously anyone can see this sunrise. But the full effect of the Daenara Dawn is only visible from a cliff overlooking the ocean. And because it's such a phenomenal event, it's become part of a bonding tradition on Daenara. Which means the only way to witness it—"

"Is if we pretend to be engaged." Rose slid the bracelet onto her arm, forcing herself to keep her expression even. "All right then. Lead the way, Doctor."

He took her hand, and feeling the cool metal of his bracelet against her wrist sent a wave of longing through Rose. This wasn't the first time they'd had to pretend to be in a relationship, but it got harder every time to act like she was pretending.

They turned a corner on the path she assumed led up to the cliff he'd mentioned, and she flinched when a new thought occurred to her. This _was_ the first time since he'd almost let it slip that he loved her. For a few minutes, outside that cafe, Rose had thought maybe he was finally going to let go of the barrier he held up between them… but then the Krillitane had swooped down over them, and the moment had been broken.

She snuck a glance at the Doctor as he rambled about the history behind the Daenara Dawn, and what the sunrise wedding meant to the people. When he mentioned that taking your lover there was a sign of absolute commitment and adoration, Rose couldn't contain a sigh.

The Doctor's ear twitched when he heard the wistful sound. "Rose?" He looked down at her, taking in the way the pale morning light sifting through the trees hit her face.

"It's just… that's such a lovely idea," she said. Her hand squeezed his automatically.

The Doctor's hearts turned over. He knew—oh, he knew how Rose felt about him. And he was fairly certain she knew he loved her in return. He hadn't done a great job hiding it before his regeneration, and since then, he'd practically been an open book.

There were days when he thought he ought to just let go of his fears and allow himself to love Rose the way she deserved. Hours when she curled into his side while they cuddled on the couch after a long day, and he wondered what it would be like to have this life, for as long as her forever lasted. Moments when she would shoot him that cheeky smile he loved, and the need to lean down and take that teasing tongue into his own mouth was almost more than he could withstand.

But having everything with Rose, letting her take full residence in his hearts and his mind, only to lose her at the end of her human life…

He swallowed hard, then sighed when they turned a corner on the path and the entrance to the festival site was ahead. "Oh look! We're here!"

The Doctor steadfastly ignored the way Rose's shoulders slumped as he pulled her through the gate, pausing only long enough to show their matching bracelets. The light was growing stronger, and he knew they would miss the sunrise if they didn't hurry.

Rose's gasp of surprise when they came out of the woods into a wide, open clifftop distracted him from his guilt. He grinned down at her as they took their place amongst the other couples gathered on the grassy clearing. Despite the size of the gathering, the cliff was large enough to give each couple space and a sense of privacy.

"Incredible, isn't it?" he whispered, gesturing at the view, and Rose nodded. The Infinite Sea stretched out before them, and as the dawn light slowly turned colours, the waves danced with ebbing shades of pink and purple. "Just wait till the sun comes up."

A woman crossed the front of the cliff and climbed onto a granite plinth. "Who's that?" Rose asked.

"The Queen. She officiates the bonding ceremony."

Around them, couples turned to face each other. Each one had a long strip of cloth in hand, and the Doctor momentarily froze. How had he not known hand-fasting played a part in the Daenara Dawn?

"Doctor?"

He shook his head and reached into his pocket, retrieving the blue strip of cloth that had been in there the very first time he'd put his coat on. He'd tried to take it out, but every time he stuck his hand into his pocket, the cloth was there again. Eventually he gave up on the silent argument with his ship. So she thought he should bond with Rose. That didn't mean he needed to give in.

And yet, here he stood, in arguably one of the most romantic settings in the galaxy, about to partake in a hand-fasting ceremony with the woman who had stolen his hearts.

Holding one end of the ribbon, he let the other dangle in front of Rose. She quickly sussed out his meaning and took her end, and then, copying the couples around them, they each twisted the ribbon around their hands until it tied them together.

With her fingers pressed so intimately to the Doctor's wrist, Rose could feel his double pulse galloping at a much faster rate than normal. _He didn't know_ , she realised. Her own heart sped up when the next conclusion came fast on the heels of that one. The Doctor had brought her here, thinking they could go through this as friends, but somehow, it was affecting him more than he had expected.

"Daenarans, I greet you today with joy," the Queen said, her words interrupting Rose's private musings.

"Joyful greetings, oh Queen," the crowd intoned. Rose and the Doctor managed to move their lips enough that anyone watching would assume they knew the words.

"You have come here today to celebrate the new step in your relationships with the rising of the sun. As the Daenara Dawn casts light on our gathering, let it seep into your hearts and bind you together. Walk together in the light for all your days, until eventually, the sun sets for one of you."

Tears pricked Rose's eyes as she stared up at the Doctor. They both knew whose sunset would come first, though she would give anything to never leave him. She wanted him to be safe—to be happy and loved for the rest of his life.

The Doctor sucked in a breath when golden light crept up over the edge of the horizon and glinted in Rose's eyes. He'd seen that gold in her eyes before, when she'd looked into Time to save him. If she'd been willing to sacrifice her life to save him, could he let go of his fear to give her happiness?

The Queen spoke again. "If you are willing to make that commitment to your beloved today, then repeat the words of the ancient bonding after me. If not, there is no shame in leaving quietly—the greater shame would be to make a promise you cannot uphold."

Rose looked up at him, and the Doctor swayed on his feet when he saw the question in her eyes. Would he mean his vows? Or would they be spoken simply so he could impress her with a sunset?

They did not move, and after a moment, the Queen began again, this time speaking in short phrases to give them time to repeat the vows after her.

"Today, as the sun crests over the ocean, I share the sunrise of a new life with you."

Wind swept over the cliff, and as the Doctor echoed the vows, he could feel the electricity in the air increasing as the planet prepared for its greatest natural light show.

"I know we will not escape darkness and shadow, but I promise that I will walk through those moments with you, never letting them pull me from you. I pledge to love and cherish you in all the moments we share, light and dark."

The sky was awash with the colours of the sunrise now, rich pinks and purples and golds that reflected off Rose's blonde hair and fair skin. The Doctor tightened his hand around hers, trying not to be affected by how beautiful she looked in this moment—trying and failing.

"I bind myself to you now, light to light, heart to heart, and soul to soul."

One hundred or more couples all spoke the same words of love and commitment, and then the clifftop was silent for ten second as they felt the solemnity of what they'd just said.

After the words stopped echoing around them, the Queen said, "By the authority of the Crown, I declare you to be bonded for life. Celebrate the light that has come into your lives with a kiss."

Rose sucked in a breath and looked up at the Doctor, but he seemed as surprised as she was. All around them, couples were leaning in for their wedding kiss, and she couldn't help but take a half step towards the Doctor.

She stopped when the muscle in his jaw twitched. If a kiss would be too much, she would respect that. Instead, she settled back on her heels and watched as the changing colours of sunrise danced over his face. The Daenara Dawn was every bit as breathtaking as he had described, but seeing him in this moment made the sunrise pale in comparison.

The Doctor's free hand twitched, and Rose held her breath when he slowly lifted it until he was cupping her jaw. "Is this okay?"

His tentative whisper made her heart race. Rose reached out and rested her hand on his chest, in between his hearts. "Always."

She wasn't sure, but she thought she saw his lips curve in a smile before he pressed them to hers. Then she knew nothing but the sweet taste of his mouth and the tender way he stroked her face. His lips caught her bottom lip and sucked gently, and Rose sighed and leaned into him.

 _Things can't stay the same now,_ she pleaded desperately. She slid her hand up over his shoulder and curled it around the back of his neck. _This has to mean something._

The Doctor swiped his tongue over her lip, and Rose parted them willingly, sighing again when she felt his tongue brush against hers. The tentative touch left her aching for more, and reflexively, she scraped her nails through the short hairs at the nape of his neck.

He groaned, and then the hand that had been cupping her face so tenderly dropped to her hip and pulled her close. Feeling him lose even a bit of control ignited Rose's desire, and she moaned his name into his mouth.

To her consternation, that was the moment the Doctor began to pull away from their kiss. Rose whimpered and tried to follow his lips with hers, to catch them in another kiss, but he put a hand on her shoulder, holding her back.

A sob rose in Rose's throat, but she swallowed it back. He'd never said this would mean anything more. She'd just let herself hope…

"Open your eyes, love," he whispered, his voice husky.

It was the endearment that enticed her to obey, more than the words. When her eyes opened, she gasped in awe. She'd only been vaguely aware of the light changing colours through her closed eyelids.

What had been a lovely, but rather run-of-the-mill sunrise was now joined by something similar to the aurora. The light danced across the sky in every colour of the rainbow, painting the planet with dazzling colours. The ocean, some two hundred feet below them, reflected the colours back up into the sky, setting off a repeating cycle as the colours echoed back and forth between sea and sky.

"It's gorgeous," Rose breathed.

The Doctor carefully undid the ribbon binding his hand to Rose's, then he moved to stand behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Rose Tyler," he whispered, then pressed a kiss to her neck. She tilted her head, and he grinned and kissed her again, before nipping at her ear.

"Doctor…" She turned in his arms and placed her hands over his hearts. "What does this mean?"

A gust of wind blew a piece of hair into her face, and after he brushed it back, he left his hand on her face. "Light to light, heart to heart, and soul to soul," he repeated. "You brought light into my life when I thought I could see only darkness, Rose. You healed my soul when I was broken from war. Is it any wonder my hearts belong to you?"

A wide smile stretched across her face, and the Doctor laughed when Rose launched herself into his arms. He caught her easily and spun her around beneath what remained of the Daenara Dawn, then set her back down and leaned down to kiss her once more.


End file.
